Music Therapy Experiences in Patients With Mild Cognitive Impairment (MCI) and Alzheimer's Disease (AD)

A Randomized, Blinded, Controlled Trial of Music Therapy Singing Interventions for Patients With MCI and AD

This study compares different music therapy (MT) experiences and their impact on memory and language in patients with Alzheimer's disease and Mild Cognitive Impairment.

The 12-month study will assess the role of common experiences involving familiar music and other pleasant events (blinded control) to benefit cognition and measure the quality of life for people with Alzheimer's disease and Mild Cognitive Impairment.

Following screening, all participants will meet with a licensed music therapist at the first study visit. Thereafter, each group will have an individualized schedule of follow-up telephone calls and visits.

Screening for the study and participation in the study intervention can be completed in-person or from your home, if you do not live in the area.

Interested participants and their study partner will be enrolled after an evaluation to determine cognitive impairment or mild dementia. The evaluation, either in person or remote, will include cognitive testing, clinical and neurological evaluation, a review medical records and medical history and an examination as deemed necessary by a dementia physician. Eligible participants will undergo baseline testing including linguistic analyses and will be randomly assigned to one of 3 intervention groups. Participants and their study partners will be contacted at least once every three months for cognitive testing and medical review. Contact with the music therapy team will occur up to twice per week but not less than once per month, for the first six months study enrollment.

Inclusion Criteria:

• Diagnosis of Alzheimer's disease or mild cognitive impairment
• Must have study partner
• English speaking
• No verbal impairment
• Community-dwelling
• Must have webcam or smart phone

Exclusion Criteria:

• A diagnosis of dementia other than probable or possible AD
• Probable AD with Down syndrome
• History of a clinically significant stroke with residual deficit
• Current evidence or history in past two years of epilepsy, focal brain lesion, head injury
• Current diagnosis for major psychiatric disorder including psychosis, major depression, bipolar disorder, alcohol or substance abuse.
• Participation in another interventional study
• Comorbidity causing disability interfering with intervention such as pain or discomfort or life expectancy less than 1 year